Offences are now categorised using the Australian and New Zealand Standard Offence Classification method. From 1 July 2010, all New Zealand justice sector statistics will use this classification method where appropriate. In the past, each justice sector agency had its own method of categorising offences. Differences between categorising methods meant intra-sector comparisons were difficult. With all justice sector agencies adopting a common classification method, such comparisons will be much easier in the future. A description of the old offence classification can be found within the obsolete offence categories section. Further information on the Australian and New Zealand Standard Offence Classification can be found on the Australian Bureau of Statistics website.
Offences and main offences (the most serious offence that a person was convicted of in a calendar year) under the Australian and New Zealand Standard Offence Classification are classified into 16 Divisions:
- Homicide and related offences
- Acts intended to cause injury
- Sexual assault and related offences
- Dangerous or negligent acts endangering persons
- Abduction, harassment and other offences against the person
- Robbery, extortion and related offences
- Unlawful entry with intent/burglary, break and enter
- Theft and related offences
- Fraud, deception and related offences
- Illicit drug offences
- Prohibited and regulated weapons and explosives offences
- Property damage and environmental pollution
- Public order offences
- Traffic and vehicle regulatory offences
- Offences against justice procedures, government security and government operations
- Miscellaneous offences
An offender's most serious charge is the one with the most severe sentence, measured by its sentence type and magnitude. The severity ranking of sentence type is in the order as they appear within the sentence types section. If an offender receives two or more sentences of the same type during the year, the sentence with the greatest magnitude will determine what charge is represented.
Each of the Divisions has a number of Subdivisions - some of which are available in the tables.
Homicide and related offences
Offences in this category include:
- Murder
- Manslaughter – includes manslaughter involving the use of a vehicle
- Attempted murder
- Driving causing death
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Acts intended to cause injury
Offences in this category include:
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Sexual assault and related offences
Offences in this category include:
- Aggravated sexual assault
- Non-aggravated sexual assault
- Non-assaultive sexual offences against a child
- Child pornography offences
- Sexual servitude offences
- Non-assaultive sexual offences
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Dangerous or negligent acts endangering persons
Offences in this category include:
- Driving under the influence of alcohol or other substance
- Dangerous or negligent operation (driving) of a vehicle
- Neglect or ill-treatment of persons under care
- Other dangerous or negligent acts endangering persons
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Abduction, harassment and other offences against the person
Offences in this category include:
- Abduction and kidnapping
- Deprivation of liberty/false imprisonment
- Harassment and private nuisance
- Threatening behaviour
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Robbery, extortion and related offences
Offences in this category include:
- Aggravated robbery
- Non-aggravated robbery
- Blackmail and extortion
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Unlawful entry with intent/burglary, break and enter
Offences in this category include:
- Unlawful entry with intent/burglary, break and enter
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Theft and related offences
Offences in this category include:
- Theft of a motor vehicle
- Illegal use of a motor vehicle
- Theft of motor vehicle parts or contents
- Theft from a person (excluding by force)
- Theft of intellectual property
- Theft from retail premises
- Receive or handle proceeds of crime
- Illegal use of property (except motor vehicles)
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Fraud, deception and related offences
Offences in this category include:
- Obtain benefit by deception
- Counterfeiting of currency
- Forgery of documents
- Possess equipment to make false/illegal instrument
- Fraudulent trade practices
- Misrepresentation of professional status
- Illegal non-fraudulent trade practices
- Dishonest conversion
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Illicit drug offences
Offences in this category include:
- Import illicit drugs
- Export illicit drugs
- Deal or traffic in illicit drugs - commercial quantity
- Deal or traffic in illicit drugs - non-commercial quantity
- Manufacture illicit drugs
- Cultivate illicit drugs
- Possess illicit drugs
- Use illicit drugs
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Prohibited and regulated weapons and explosives offences
Offences in this category include:
- Import or export prohibited weapons/explosives
- Sell, possess and/or use prohibited weapons/explosives
- Unlawfully obtain or possess regulated weapons/explosives
- Misuse of regulated weapons/explosives
- Deal or traffic regulated weapons/explosives offences
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Property damage and environmental pollution
Offences in this category include:
- Property damage by fire or explosion
- Graffiti
- Air pollution offences
- Water pollution offences
- Noise pollution offences
- Soil pollution offences
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Public order offences
Offences in this category include:
- Trespass
- Criminal intent
- Riot and affray
- Disorderly conduct
- Betting and gambling offences
- Liquor and tobacco offences
- Censorship offences
- Prostitution offences
- Offences against public order sexual standards
- Consumption of legal substances in regulated spaces
- Offensive language
- Offensive behaviour
- Vilify or incite hatred on racial, cultural, religious or ethnic grounds
- Cruelty to animals
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Traffic and vehicle regulatory offences
Offences in this category include:
- Drive while licence disqualified or suspended
- Drive without a licence
- Vehicle registration offences
- Vehicle roadworthiness offences
- Exceed the prescribed content of alcohol or other substance limit
- Exceed the legal speed limit
- Parking offences
- Pedestrian offences
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Offences against justice procedures, government security and government operations
Offences in this category include:
- Breach of custody offences
- Breach of home detention
- Breach of suspended sentence
- Breach of community service order
- Breach of parole
- Breach of bail
- Breach of bond - probation
- Breach of bond - other
- Breach of violence order
- Breach of non-violence order
- Resist or hinder government official (excluding police officer, justice official or government security officer)
- Bribery involving government officials
- Immigration offences
- Resist or hinder government officer concerned with government security
- Subvert the course of justice
- Resist or hinder police officer or justice official
- Prison regulation offences
- Offences against justice procedures
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Miscellaneous offences
Offences in this category include:
- Defamation and libel
- Offences against privacy
- Sanitation offences
- Disease prevention offences
- Occupational health and safety offences
- Transport regulation offences
- Dangerous substances offences
- Licit drug offences
- Public health and safety offences
- Commercial/industry/financial regulation
- Environmental regulation offences
- Bribery excluding government officials
- Quarantine offences
- Import/export regulations
- Procure or commit illegal abortion
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